30 Years, 30+ Stories: Palestine*, challenges for a skilled and resilient workforce

The EU is the largest international donor to the Palestinians territories, and human capital development is a key area of international support. In this picture, the European Training Foundation (ETF) is working, in close cooperation with the Office of the European Union Representative in Jerusalem, to support both the EU-Palestine political dialogue and to provide assistance to international projects and governmental initiatives. In addition, the ETF participates in the EU donors joint programming working groups in the country, working in particular with GiZ (German Development Cooperation), ENABEL (Belgian Development Agency) and DVV International. 

General landscape in vocational education and training 

According to the ETF's latest country analysis on education, training and employment developments, 'the VET system in Palestine performs well in imparting basic skills and competences to youths and adults, aligning with the transition towards green and digital societies. However, a significant challenge lies in bridging the gap between the VET system and the labour market.' While the levels of unemployment, skills mismatch, informal economy, and gender disparities are similar to other countries in the region, the Palestinian territories are in many ways unique. As an example, a recent ETF report on platform work in the Southern Mediterranean has found that this kind of working arrangement is particularly relevant in Palestine, due to the inherent mobility difficulties, and can represent an important leverage for digitally powered employability dynamics.  

'Working with Palestine is certainly challenging, because of pressing socio-economic issues such as high unemployment and political instability, the fragmentation of the country's skills development systems, and the high dependency on donor funding,' says Fabio Nascimbeni, ETF Country Liaison for Palestine*. 'At the same time, the strong drive to improve education and equip youth and adults with skills for better employment opportunities across society, and especially the incredible resilience of Palestinian stakeholders, make working in the country extremely rewarding and motivating.' 

An important step to address the issue of TVET system fragmentation was the creation, in 2021, of the National TVET Commission (NTC), a governmental organisation with the mandate to oversee the Palestinian TVET strategy, to identify in-demand skills and contribute to the creation of a comprehensive labour market and skills information system.  

The NTC acts as the main point of contact for donors in the TVET sector, and it 'has been keen to implement various interventions to mitigate the fragmentation in the TVET system and unify all its element, while gaining trust from donors, development agencies, and local partners to orient funding and support,' says Ziad Jweiles, executive president of the NTC. 

The establishment of Sector Skills Councils (SSCs) — including one for renewable energy — is one of the NTC’s priority strategic objectives. 'We developed a five-year strategic plan on behalf of all TVET ministries and institutions, as well as a contingency plan for 2024 due to the war in Gaza,' adds Jweiles. Among other advances, he cites the establishment of the TVET sector working group, the unification of the human resources development system and, in general, 'the coordination and implementation between supply and demand' sides as the NTC's main achievements. 

Even if governance remains a challenge, the establishment of the NTC has certainly been beneficial and the ETF is committed to support this effort.  

The role of international donors in Palestine 

Palestine has always been a focus of international development efforts. 'International and European donors play a crucial role in the education, training and employment sectors in Palestine. They have been instrumental in providing financial resources, technical assistance and policy support that have led to relevant and significant improvements and innovations,' says Fatema Ghadieh-Asfour, Head of the programme DoTVET for GIZ Palestine.  

'By promoting and advocating for reform efforts, the contribution of the donor community improves access to quality and influences TVET policy towards a harmonised TVET governance system, but also more practical issues such as the training of teachers and the provision of modern training equipment and infrastructure,' continues Ghadieh-Asfour. 

In partnership with GIZ, the ETF is supporting the Palestinian government’s efforts to develop a National Qualifications Framework (NQF). 'The NQF in Palestine will standardise qualifications by defining specific learning outcomes for each level of education, ensuring consistency and high quality across TVET programmes,' says Enas Sawi, TVET and Labour Market Specialist in the DoTVET programme at GIZ Palestine.  

'TVET institutions and curriculum developers will use the framework standards to develop programmes that are aligned with industry needs, improve the recognition of qualifications locally and internationally, and promote lifelong learning by providing clear pathways for skills development,' Sawi continues. 'By establishing robust quality assurance mechanisms and fostering partnerships between educational institutions and employers, the NQF will increase employer confidence in TVET graduates and support effective policy development, ultimately improving the employment ecosystem and the overall quality of TVET in Palestine.' 

Another area where the ETF is working, mainly in collaboration with ENABEL, is support to employability. Youth employment in Palestine faces serious challenges: recent data from the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics show alarming unemployment rates, particularly with a steep rise to 74% in Gaza and 29% in the West Bank, culminating in an overall unemployment rate for Palestine of 46% by the end of 2023. 

'Before the recent conflict, youth unemployment rates were already alarmingly high, but this has been exacerbated by the war and significant layoffs, including some 200,000 people from the West Bank who were previously employed in Israel. This has increased competition for jobs and marginalised inexperienced young jobseekers,' says Bartelijne Van Der Boogert, business development and economic empowerment expert for the Youth Employment Programme (YEP), co-funded by the EU and implemented by ENABEL in Palestine with a contribution from the ETF.  

'Despite the unstable socio-economic climate, YEP has made notable progress in preparing young Palestinians for the world of work. Hundreds of YEP trainees have completed training in 21st century skills, technical expertise and business development, and are actively engaged with companies for employment or entrepreneurial projects,' Van Der Boogert added. 'This approach is critical to mitigating the impact of high unemployment and economic instability, and to empower Palestinian youth to navigate and contribute to the economic resilience and future prosperity of their communities.' 

The resilient character of young Palestinians is also witnessed by many testimonials of innovative project ideas. One of them is a young lady from the Gaza Training Centre, Ghada Krayem, who in 2021 won the Green Skills Awards, an ETF initiative aimed at recognising innovative initiatives that promote sustainable practices and the development of green skills worldwide. Ghada's story highlighted the need to tackle inequality and climate change at the same time through an innovative programme to train young people, especially women, as solar energy technicians.  

A way forward, supporting Palestinian learners and workers  

The ETF has been following the skills and training landscapes, also after the start of the Gaza crisis.  

'Our analysis of existing data confirms the indispensable role of relevant skills development for immediate recovery, reconstruction, and future resilience. Given the unprecedented challenges faced in Gaza the international community needs to be ready for a coordinated, flexible, and adaptive approach informed by available data from the ground and engaging humanitarian and development stakeholders to address both immediate needs and long-term goals in the education and training sectors, to “build back better” the Palestinian skills development ecosystem,' Nascimbeni says. 

_{* This designation shall not be construed as recognition of a State of Palestine and is without prejudice to the individual position of the Member States on this issue.}